Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis

Study finds that the aggressive lone star tick is no match for Credelio GREENFIELD, Ind., Aug. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Parasites & Vectors, a leading peer-reviewed journal focused on parasites and vector-borne pathogens published the results of a head-to-head study demonstrating that Credelio, a prescription flea and tick protection product from Elanco Animal Health, has the fastest initial speed of tick kill in just 12 hours and sustains that advantage throughout the dosing interval.1,2,3 According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), during 2019 – 2022, state and local health departments reported more than 45,000 human cases of tickborne disease to CDC.4 The Companion Animal Parasite Council (CAPC) recommends using products on pets that kill and/or repel ticks before pathogens are transmitted.5 Continue Reading Dr. Kathryn Reif, Bailey-Goodwin Endowed Associate Professor in Parasitology at Auburn University, highlights the importance of the study findings. The 2023 head-to-head study compared three popular prescription flea and tick treatment products for dogs, Credelio (lotilaner), Simparica TRIO (sarolaner, moxidectin, pyrantel), and NexGard (afoxolaner), tracking the comparative data for the relative speeds of kill of Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick). The 2023 head-to-head study compared three popular prescription flea and tick treatment products for dogs, Credelio (lotilaner), Simparica TRIO (sarolaner, moxidectin, pyrantel), and NexGard (afoxolaner), tracking the comparative data for the relative speeds of kill of Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick) – an aggressive and expanding tick found in the United States that is one of the hardest to kill. Not only is this tick hard to kill, but it can also transmit dangerous disease-causing pathogens to pets and people. The CDC recently provided in-depth tick surveillance information regarding the aggressive nature of the lone star tick that can bite humans and transmit bacterial and viral pathogens, as well as cause alpha-gal syndrome (red meat allergy).6 "The results of this head-to-head study establishes Credelio as the front runner in speed of tick kill in prescription flea and tick treatment products for dogs.1 This is important because the longer a tick is attached, the greater the risk of pathogen transmission," said Dr. Kathryn Reif, Bailey-Goodwin Endowed Associate Professor in Parasitology at Auburn University. "These pathogens can cause serious diseases, such as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and ehrlichiosis, so it is critical that veterinarians talk with pet owners about year-round parasite protection. Credelio's rapid and sustained speed of tick kill helps protect pets against pathogen-carrying ticks which can result in dangerous diseases."1 The study included dogs that were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: Credelio, Simparica TRIO, NexGard or untreated control. Live tick counts were performed on dogs by blinded investigators during regular intervals.1 The study results found that by all 12-hour evaluation intervals, only the Credelio group significantly reduced lone star ticks as compared to the untreated control group. The study observed that the Simparica TRIO and NexGard groups were not significantly different from the untreated control group by any of the 12-hour evaluation intervals. The study also showed that Credelio significantly reduced ticks at all 12- and 24-hour evaluation time points and only Credelio provides a rapid speed of kill throughout the entire month-long treatment period.1,2,3 Of the evaluated products, only Credelio killed ticks as fast at the end of the month as at the beginning of the month. "This study sets Credelio apart from competitors as it maintains a rapid speed of tick kill throughout the entire monthly dosing period," said David Gosche, DVM, Elanco Sr. Director of Technical Marketing.1,2,3 "This product maintains consistent levels of efficacy in tick kill throughout the month, outperforming the competitors tested." 1,2,3 Learn more about Credelio for dogs here. To read the full study findings, click here. ABOUT ELANCO Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With nearly 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to helping our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our Elanco Healthy Purpose™ Sustainability Initiatives –all to advance the health of animals, people, and the planet. CREDELIO INDICATIONS Credelio kills adult fleas and is indicated for the treatment and prevention of flea infestations (Ctenocephalides felis) and the treatment and control of tick infestations [Amblyomma americanum (lone star tick), Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick), Ixodes scapularis (black-legged tick) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick)] for one month in dogs and puppies 8 weeks of age and older and weighing 4.4 pounds or greater. CREDELIO IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Lotilaner is a member of the isoxazoline class. This class has been associated with neurologic adverse reactions including tremors, ataxia, and seizures. Seizures have been reported in dogs receiving this class of drugs, even in dogs without a history of seizures. Use with caution in dogs with a history of seizures or neurologic disorders. The safe use of Credelio in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs has not been evaluated. The most frequently reported adverse reactions are weight loss, elevated blood urea nitrogen, polyuria, and diarrhea. For full prescribing information see Credelio package insert. NexGard is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc. Simparica TRIO is a registered trademark of Zoetis Services LLC. Credelio, Elanco and the diagonal bar logo are trademarks of Elanco or its affiliates. Other company and product names are trademarks of their respective owners. © 2024 Elanco or its affiliates PM-US-24-1168 1 Ambylomma americanum (lone star tick) 2 Reif KE, Kollasch TM, Neilson JC, Herrin BH, Ryan WG, Bell MC, Beltz MS, Dryden MW, Jesudoss Chelladurai JRJ, Miller KR, Sutherland CJ. Comparative speed of kill provided by lotilaner (Credelio™), sarolaner (Simparica Trio™), and afoxolaner (NexGard™) to control Amblyomma americanum infestations on dogs. Parasite Vectors. 2024 Jul 20;17(1):313. 3 Based on the time to statistical significance vs control in a single study on days 21 and 28 for reinfestations. 4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Tickborne Disease Surveillance Data Summary. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 8, 2024, from 5 Companion Animal Parasite Council | 2023 Annual Pet Parasite Forecasts (capcvet.org) 6 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Where Ticks Live. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved August 8, 2024, from Investor Contact: Katy Grissom (317) 273-9284 [email protected] Media Contact: Season Solorio (765) 316-0233 [email protected] SOURCE Elanco Animal Health

Scientists  have developed a genome-scale metabolic model or 'subway map' of key metabolic activities of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Using this map, they have successfully identified two compounds that selectively target routes only used by Lyme disease to infect a host. Scientists at Tufts University School of Medicine have developed a genome-scale metabolic model or "subway map" of key metabolic activities of the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Using this map, they have successfully identified two compounds that selectively target routes only used by Lyme disease to infect a host. Their research was published October 19 in the journal mSystems. While neither medication is a viable treatment for Lyme because they have numerous side effects, the successful use of the computational "subway map" to predict drug targets and possible existing treatments demonstrates that it may be possible to develop micro-substances that only block Lyme disease while leaving other helpful bacteria untouched. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) collect all known metabolic information on a biological system, including the genes, enzymes, metabolites, and other information. These models use big data and machine learning to help scientists understand molecular mechanisms, make predictions, and identify new processes that might be previously unknown and even counter-intuitive to known biological processes. Micro-Substances to Target Bacterium Currently, Lyme disease is treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics that kill the Lyme bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, but simultaneously also kill a wide range of the other bacteria that inhabit a host's microbiome and perform many helpful functions. Some people with chronic Lyme symptoms or recurring Lyme disease take antibiotics for years, although it is against medical guidelines and there is no proof that it works. "Most of the antibiotics we still use are based on discoveries that are decades old, and antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem across many bacterial diseases," says Peter Gwynne, first author on the paper and research assistant professor of molecular biology and microbiology at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Tufts Lyme Disease Initiative. "There is a growing movement to find micro-substances that target a specific pathway in a single bacterium, rather than treating patients with broad spectrum antibiotics that wipe out the microbiome and cause antibiotic resistance." The two compounds identified using the "subway map" computational model are an anticancer drug with significant side effects that make it impractical to use in treating Lyme, and an asthma medication taken off the market because of its side effects. Both drugs identified by the model were tested in the lab and found to successfully kill Lyme bacteria -- and only Lyme -- in culture. "The Lyme bacterium is a great test case for narrow spectrum drugs because it is so limited in what it can do and so highly dependent upon its environment. This leaves it vulnerable in ways other bacteria are not," says Linden Hu, the Paul and Elaine Chervinsky Professor of Immunology, a professor of molecular biology and microbiology, and senior author on the study. Speeding Treatment Discovery Use of the computational model -- which Gwynne and collaborators developed during COVID when they couldn't work onsite in the lab -- has the potential to enable scientists to skip some painstaking basic science steps and lead to swifter testing and development of more targeted treatments. "We can now use this model to screen for similar compounds that don't have the same toxicity of the anticancer and asthma medications but could potentially stop the same or another part of the Lyme disease process," says Gwynne, a recent recipient of the Emerging Leader Award from the Bay Area Lyme Foundation. Gwynne and Hu are conducting other research to determine whether people with chronic Lyme symptoms are still infected or are suffering from an immune malfunction that creates chronic symptoms. "I can imagine a day when people take a targeted Lyme treatment for two weeks rather than a broad-spectrum antibiotic, are tested and determined to be clear of the infection, and then take drugs to tame their immune response if chronic symptoms persist," says Gwynne. Gwynne says similar computational "subway maps" can be developed for other bacteria with relatively small genomes, such as those that cause the sexually transmitted diseases Syphilis and Chlamydia, and Rickettsia, which causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Gwynne's team is looking at developing maps for some of these bacteria. Research reported in this article was supported by the Bay Area Lyme Foundation and by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health under award R01AI122286. Co-authors include Kee-Lee Stocks, a Ph.D. student at Tufts Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS); research assistant Aarya Pandit, E25, at GSBS; and former research assistant Elysse S. Karozichian, E23, at GSBS. Complete information on authors, funders, methodology, and conflicts of interest is available in the published paper.

A bacterium that causes a disease called scrub typhus -- a disease not previously reported in the United States -- has been detected in North Carolina, according to a new study. A bacterium that causes a disease called scrub typhus -- a disease not previously reported in the United States -- has been detected in North Carolina, according to a new study by researchers at North Carolina State University and UNC-Greensboro. The researchers stress that scrub typhus, which can cause fever, headache and body aches -- and can be fatal if left untreated by antibiotics -- has not yet been detected in animals or people in the state. The NC State researchers detected the bacterium -- the genus is Orientia in the family Rickettsiaceae -- at a high frequency while testing free living, larval (ready to bite) trombiculid mites, commonly called chiggers, in several different recreational parks in North Carolina. "We wanted to see if chiggers in the United States carried Orientia," said Loganathan Ponnusamy, an NC State principal research scholar in entomology and co-corresponding author of a paper that describes the research. "We haven't in the past had the diagnostic tools to test for this specific bacterium at the genus level." "We set a black tile on the ground in 10 different North Carolina state parks and picked up chiggers as they crossed the tile. Microbiome studies allowed us to characterize all the bacteria in the chiggers. One park showed a 90% positivity rate for the bacterium (nine out of 10 chiggers captured); another showed an 80% positivity rate (eight of 10 chiggers captured). Other parks showed positivity rates of just 10%." Trombiculid mites are only parasitic in their larval stage. They search for vertebrate hosts -- including humans -- to bite, Ponnusamy says. "Chiggers can spread bacteria to people or rodents when they bite but can also pass bacteria to future generations of mites through their eggs," he added. The researchers say that scrub typhus presents symptoms similar to those of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a disease generally ascribed to tick bites. Scrub typhus is found more commonly in Asia and the Pacific, but in recent years has been detected in Africa and the Middle East. It is uncertain whether spread is caused by people or goods carrying chiggers from one place to another. "We don't know if this is a recent introduction into the state or if the bacterium has been here for years," said R. Michael Roe, William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Entomology at NC State and co-author of the paper. "We also don't know if the infected chiggers found in North Carolina actually will cause disease; this has to be determined in future work." "We also don't have information about whether the chigger infection rate is decreasing or increasing," said Kaiying Chen, a postdoctoral research scholar at NC State and lead author of the paper. The NC State and UNC-Greensboro researchers are resampling chiggers in the recreational park sites to see if the reported findings remain consistent. The paper appears in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases. Other co-authors include Nicholas V. Travanty and Charles S. Apperson from North Carolina State University; Reuben Garshong and Gideon Wasserberg from the University of North Carolina Greensboro; and Dac Crossley from the Georgia Museum of Natural History. Funding was provided by a grant from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grant no. 1R03AI166406-01); a grant from the Southeast Center for Agricultural Health and Injury Prevention, and from the Department of the Army, U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Natick Contracting Division, Ft Detrick MD. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position or the policy of the Government and no official endorsement should be inferred.